Histopathologic findings in the middle ear mucosa of the rat after experimentally induced staphylococcal otitis media

ABSTRACT

This paper describes a study of the middle ear mucosa after Staphylococcus aureus induced infection in the middle ear cavity of the rats. To obtain an evaluation at the tissue level light microscopy was used. At day three and at one, two, three, four, six and eight weeks after the inoculation, rats were sacrified. In the early phase, day 3 and week one inflammatory cells invaded the subepithelial layer except in the tympanic membrane. After two months, the tympanic membrane becomes normal on examination with microscope and histologically but the structural changes in the middle ear mucosa still persist, indicating that a transient episode of staphylococcal otitis media can cause persisting mucosa damage